Balaklava

An early incarnation of the Balaklava Football Club existed between 1903 and 1925, claiming a total of five premierships during that time. The 1926 season saw Balaklava splitting into two separate clubs, Balaklava Centrals and Balaklava Rovers, both of which spent the ensuing seven seasons competing in the Wakefield Football Association. Both clubs experienced premiership success, Centrals in 1929, and Rovers on three consecutive occasions between 1926 and 1928.

The direct antecedent of today’s Balaklava Football Club was established in 1933 and, competing in the WFA, won a flag at the first time of asking, defeating Owen in the grand final by 37 points. Losing grand finals against Hoyleton in both 1935 and 1936 followed before the side broke through for a second flag in 1938 courtesy of a 15.10 (100) TO 11.8 (74) grand final triumph over Avon.

In 1940 Balaklava commenced in the Adelaide Plains Football League in which it still competes. It won its first senior grade flag in the new competition in 1951 and, with the exception of the 1960s, has added at least one premiership per decade since. The 1990s were especially productive, with the Woodpeckers enjoying a one hundred per cent ‘hit rate’ from four grand final appearances. Their most recent senior grade premiership came in the 2000 season via an 18.18 (126) to 14.5 (89) grand final defeat of United. The club has contested three further senior grand finals since then, but all resulted in defeat. In 2008 the Woodpeckers scraped into the finals in fourth place, ahead of Two Wells only on percentage, but they were then comprehensively vanquished by more than 100 points by Hummocks Watchman in the first semi final.